The Hoops' reward for their superb victory over Dinamo Moscow on Wednesday is a two-legged duel with Arsene Wenger's men.

Arsenal will start odds-on favourites to make it into the group stages. However, Mowbray has seen enough from his charges already in pre-season to believe they can cause a shock.

"It is an exciting draw and a game we will go into believing we can win," he said after this afternoon's 2-1 friendly defeat at Manchester City.

"The top four in the Premier League are on a different level to everyone else, as I found out last year with West Brom, and it is going to be a big ask for us.

"But I know we have players who can give them problems. We are good enough, we just have to take our chances when they come along."

Mowbray also revealed he had no input into the decision to appeal against the one-match ban that threatened to rule Glenn Loovens out of next Saturday's Scottish Premier League opener with Aberdeen.

Loovens has only just been suspended for his tackle on Maurice Edu during the Old Firm encounter last May.

However, Celtic's latest move merely drags on even further a disciplinary process that Mowbray feels has taken far too long already.

"It is something that happened before I arrived and the powers that be at the club have decided to appeal," he said.

"If I am being honest, I have never even seen it, but I will deal with the aftermath, whether Glenn is eventually suspended or not.

"What amazes me is that we are sitting here a week before the season talking about something that took place in May."

With a team showing 10 changes from the one on duty in Russia, Mowbray declared himself satisfied with the performance, if not the result for a Celtic side looked to win the league title back after Rangers' triumph last term.

However, he is not looking forward to a week that includes Scotland's World Cup qualifier in Norway as a destraction.

"I have nine or 10 away and most of them will not be with me again until 4pm on Thursday, which is hardly ideal," he said.

"It is one of the reasons I decided to play such a young team.

"But I feel we will be ready for next Saturday."